Are you tasked with throwing your best girlfriend her bridal shower? Relax. We’ve got you covered. First, take a deep breath. It’s an honor to be asked to throw the bridal shower. Enjoy the moment. Next, create a timeline. Bridal showers can be held a few weeks to a few months before the big day. Just don't time it too close to the wedding date as the bride might be too harassed to enjoy herself then.
Need more tips? Here, several ideas to guide you through the best bridal shower ever.
1. Select a theme.
Planning the perfect bridal shower starts with choosing a theme. Kim Kardashian followed a Parisian theme for her own bridal shower at The Peninsula Beverly Hills as a nod to her actual wedding in Paris. While she kept most of the shower details a secret, we did get a glimpse of a white chocolate Eiffel Tower and a box of Ladurée macarons at the party courtesy of Rachel Roy's Instagram account—proof that having a theme can guide you through every stage of the shower. Take a look at our Pinterest board for more inspiration.
2. Organize a class.
Some bridal showers take the form of special group activities like wine tasting sessions, baking tutorials, and even pole dancing classes! Find out if there’s anything that the bride and her guests have always wanted to learn or do and go with it. The important thing is for everyone to have fun.
3. Create a guest list.
Talk to the bride-to-be about who she wants at her bridal shower. Keep the number small. Bridal showers are supposed to be intimate. That said, try to get to know the guests as well. Do your research so you can help make them feel at ease on the day of the bridal shower. It’s also a good idea to create a gift list, so you know which presents came from whom once the gift opening commences.
4. Choose the right venue.
The bride will enjoy a bit of privacy for her shower, so we suggest booking a separate room at a hotel or a restaurant for the bridal shower. Spot.ph has an abundance of well-written online reviews you can check out!
5. Create a program.
A bridal shower is not exactly a huge gala, but having an actual program is still important. It keeps the party on track and eliminates the risk of there being a lull in the festivities. Typically, showers last for three to four hours, giving guests enough time to eat, drink, play a game or two, and watch the bride open her gifts.
6. Spring a surprise.
Taylor Swift once surprised a fan by going to her bridal shower. While that might be a little hard to replicate, there are other things you can do to make the bride-to-be feel extra special. A crown of flowers, a video montage, a huge cake, a comissioned portrait, an impromptu ballet performance by her adorable nieces, tickets to her favorite play—you and your friends can pool your resources (and your heads) together.
7. Take lots of pictures.
Consider hiring a photographer to capture all the important moments of the bridal shower. This way, you can enjoy the party without constantly worrying about missing an important moment. You can also opt to rent a photo booth for the event. Posing with funny hats and funky masks never gets old.
8. Make it trending.
Social media is your friend. Coin a hashtag for your friend's bridal shower and pepper Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook with photos and status updates with the chosen hashtag.
9. Return the favor.
Don’t forget to thank the guests for coming to the bridal shower. You don't have to get them expensive favors. For a girly shower, guests can take home a bottle of nail polish in a pretty shade of carnation pink. For a garden shower, you can arrange for guests to take home flower seeds. Tie the whole thing up with the shower theme.
(Photo from The House that Lars Built via Lisa Narramore on Pinterest)
